Library hosts Stronger Together Volunteer Fair

The San Marcos Public Library is hosting the Stronger Together Volunteer Fair on Saturday from 12 to 2 p.m. in hopes of connecting the local organizations and nonprofits to residents and potential volunteers.

The term “Stronger Together” became a cry for San Marcos after the city was hit by two devastating flooding events in 2015. The community banded together to clean out people's homes, to collect and donate items, to pick the debris from the streets and culverts and to volunteer their skills, time or money in whatever way they could. 

“That's the silver lining of the floods we had in 2015, 'Stronger Together' became a real emblem of San Marcos, because we all related to that so much,” San Marcos Public Library Public Outreach Librarian Deborah Carter said. “We all looked around for ways to help. I don't know anyone that wasn't affected in some way either because they were either hit, they were helping or they were at the least perceiving people coming together.”

Last year was the first Stronger Together Volunteer Fair and approximately 15 organizations came out to engage with the public. This year, Carter said that she’s looking to make it bigger, with more organizations and more participants.

So far the 2018 volunteer fair has at least 19 nonprofits and charity organizations that have signed up to participate. Some of the organizations attending include the San Marcos Cinema Club, Lions Club, Mano Amiga, CMTC Hospice, the San Marcos Greenbelt Alliance, CASA for Kids, the Mermaid Society, San Marcos River Foundation, Community Action Head Start, School Fuel, the Hays County Food Bank, Hays-Caldwell Women’s Center, Prevent a Litter (PALS), the Boys and Girls Club, the Texas International Wine Competition. The city’s Urban Forester Kelly Eby will be at the library recruiting up to 150 volunteers to plant thousands of trees in the local area. The library will also be recruiting volunteers for their programs. They are looking for volunteers to read to children and tutor in different subjects as well as StarTeens – ages 12 to 17 – that help shelve books and run programs at the library.

Carter said with so many organizations and nonprofits doing such diverse and important work, every skill level and time commitment is not only welcome, but needed.

“These organizations represent the mosaic of our town and the people that are laying the safety net for people in San Marcos,” Carter said. “There are so many ways to give back that there is something out there for everybody, whatever your age, skill level or time allows. Some are retirees that are looking to contribute, some people are looking for ways for their kids to learn more about community involvement, some college students are looking for things to add to their resume and a lot of us are just looking for ways to be more connected.”

The Stronger Together Volunteer Fair will be held on Saturday, Dec. 8 from 12 to 2 p.m. Those unable to make it to the fair but that are still interested in learning more about local nonprofits and volunteering opportunities, can stop by the library’s reference desk for the Stronger Together Community Resource Directory, that will list all the relevant information  – including whether it counts toward community service – about organizations with volunteering opportunities in San Marcos.